RST: Revitalizing Our Cities

What to look for on Radio Smart Talk Friday, July 26th:

The city of Detroit is a stark and extreme example of problems being faced by cities around the country. With accumulated debt and shrinking tax revenues, the cost of maintaining services has grown. Broken streetlights are not being repaired and potholes are not being filled in. Abandoned buildings and vacant lots abound.

Cities in our own region are looking at some similar issues. Today on Radio Smart Talk, we’ll talk to some leaders of community groups who are attempting to help revitalize their own cities.

In the early 1900’s, Harrisburg was a city of squalor, but was transformed by the City Beautiful movement. Today, City Beautiful 2.0 hopes to re-create some of the accomplishments of the original movement with grassroots volunteer efforts. Two of the leaders, Jean Cutler, Bureau Director at Commonwealth of PA, and John Campbell, Executive Director of Historic Harrisburg Association, will be guests on the program today.

And in Waynesboro, PA a team of volunteers has worked to transform downtown vacant buildings into Art Galleries. Andrew Sussman, co-president of the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro, will be on the programto talk about how Main Street can be transformed into a work of art.

Listen to the program:

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